


when morning comes our way

by calcelmo



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Developing Relationship, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:08:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26123989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calcelmo/pseuds/calcelmo
Summary: Lunafreya falls in love with Aranea, but she's certain nothing can ever come of it.
Relationships: Lunafreya Nox Fleuret/Aranea Highwind, Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	when morning comes our way

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hexaS](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hexaS/gifts).



> Happy birthday Evan! I hope you like it and have a great day x

It was a mild night in summer, with the breeze ruffling the silken curtains that covered the windows. The scene gave the illusion of peace and seclusion, but just outside her room were many Altissian guardsmen, ensuring she couldn't be recaptured by the Niflheim Empire. 

As she lay down to rest, her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Her body was suddenly thrown into high alert. There was a figure standing motionless in her room; shrouded in darkness. It seemed aware that she had noticed it, and stepped forward into the moonlight. The intruder was a hooded, feminine figure, with beautifully wrought Niflheim armour and a face concealed by shadow.

Lunafreya looked for the tendrils of fate and they told her she wouldn’t die tonight. But fate twisted and changed as quickly as the whims of men- or women, in this case- so she was careful not to drop her guard.

“Lucky for you my lady, I’m the pleasant kind of night visitor,” the intruder said, on a sensuous drawl. Lunafreya didn’t have to see her face to know she was beautiful, dangerously so. 

“All right,” she said. Her voice didn't waver. “Then take off your hood and tell me your name.”

The stranger complied. Her gauntleted hands went up to push back her hood, and underneath it, she was smiling too. Conspiratorial. She was breathtaking, with silver grey hair to her shoulders, and shining eyes like the wolf to match.

“Aranea Highwind,” the silver-haired woman said, sketching a bow. “At your service.”

Luna wasn’t afraid. “Is that why you’ve come, Aranea? To offer your service?”

“In a word. Forgive me my dramatic introduction, but it just goes to show how weak your security is. If you’ll accept my help, that won’t be an issue any longer.”

“You have confidence in your abilities.”

“I’m the best at what I do,” Aranea replied. There wasn’t a trace of arrogance or exaggeration in it. 

Luna knew of this woman. She was a strong and skilled mercenary, whose services were employed by the Niflheim Empire's army. She was renowned for her airborne combat prowess, and considered deadly and dangerous by all. And yet the gods were quick to tell her that Aranea wasn't here with the motive to kill. 

“Perhaps you’re right. It shouldn’t be so easy to bypass my guards,” Luna mused. She wasn’t afraid of death, but she _was_ afraid her purpose wouldn’t be fulfilled. She wanted as long a life as possible dedicated to serving the people. It was possible that Aranea had been guided by the hand of fate to serve in protecting the Oracle. “But I have to ask about your motives.”

“Well, it’s a twofold problem, my lady,” Aranea answered. “Firstly, I strongly believe my current pay isn’t sufficient for the danger we put ourselves in. That’s quite simple, and I've had one too many brushes with death when the business remains as unprofitable as it has proven. But the second issue may be more difficult for you to believe." The mercenary paused. "I have begun to suspect that I am on the wrong side of history.”

Luna smiled, shaking her head. “It’s quite easy to believe, Aranea. Over time, I’ve come to learn that there’s good in all of us, even if we didn’t set out on the right path.”

Aranea was quick to mask her surprise, but Luna still noticed the way her eyes widened; as clear green and inquisitive as a cat's. This was someone looking for a place to belong, and something to fight for. She had tired of bolstering the nefarious cause solely for its financial margins. As Oracle, Luna had often witnessed that people could suddenly wake up to their dubious moral position, and were compelled to seek redemption. 

Soon after this exchange, Aranea Highwind was covertly accepted onto Lunafreya’s personal guard. Keen to avoid clashing with her old allies from Niflheim, she remained as a shadow in the darkness, protecting the Oracle from danger.

Luna had a gift for discerning people’s intentions, and she had always believed Aranea to be genuine. The woman’s cool, seductive exterior belay a principled nature. She was mischievous, but careful; she was shrewd, but loyal. Her wild, outgoing nature complemented Luna's more reserved personality. Over time, they became firm friends, and Luna trusted her implicitly.

However, friendship soon morphed into something deeper. To Luna's dismay, she could not prevent trust becoming the kind of affection reserved for one's betrothed. Luna feared that the feelings she had developed for Aranea would put paid to her and Noctis' diplomatically beneficial union. 

She attempted to put distance between them as she considered the situation. She avoided Aranea and her attempts to invite the Oracle to dinner, or sneak out of her quarters at midnight to buy churros. All she could think about was how silly she'd been, to allow her emotions to run wild and cause such an unnecessary, inconvenient issue. 

After many nights spent lying awake in the dark, analysing her emotional attachment to the beautiful mercenary- Lunafreya could only come to the conclusion that her and Aranea's relationship must remain platonic. She couldn't bear to dismiss her completely, because the thought of life without the mercenary in it was intolerable. All she could attempt was dialling back the casual affection they had begun to afford each other, and express that there could never be anything further than a friendship.

Aranea was angry. 

"My Lady, it's starting to feel as if you don't _want_ to spend any time with me," she said. It sounded playful, but Luna knew her well enough to detect the real hurt and insecurity behind the honeyed words. 

"That's not true at all," Luna replied truthfully. 

"Then please tell me what's going on." 

Lunafreya sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid I can't."

She wished she could have a happy ending, where she and Aranea were free to love each other. But her duties as Oracle meant that her path was already forged. Noctis was to be her husband, and she couldn't jeopardise it without putting countless civilians at risk. It seemed deeply unfair, and clearly Aranea thought the same. She scowled in a way that managed to be endearing. "Why on Eos not?" 

"It concerns a very sensitive matter around my personal life." The answer was evasive, she knew it, but it was all she was willing to give. 

Aranea scoffed. "You know, My Lady- I think I know what the issue is here." 

Lunafreya said nothing, simply because she didn't know how to respond.

Aranea inhaled to give herself the courage to speak. "I have feelings for you," she declared. "Romantic. And you don't know how to handle it." 

Luna ignored the accusatory tone, and remained calm, despite her internal distress. She felt unable to continue the charade, and didn't wish to prolong Aranea's hurt by implying this was a rejection based on anything other than necessity. "I feel the same, Aranea," Luna told her, defeated. "But I'm to marry Prince Noctis. I cannot risk voiding that contract, for the sake of Tenebrae." 

A moment passed, and then Aranea began to laugh. As if the future of their municipality was something to be dismissed as trivial and unimportant, in the face of romantic inclination. 

Patiently, Luna waited for her to finish and explain what was so amusing about the situation. 

"I only wish Noctis had afforded you the same consideration," Aranea said, simply. 

"I don't understand." 

"As you know, I travelled with Noctis and his merry band of men for some time. It was immutably clear to me that he and his advisor were in a romantic and sexual relationship." 

"You mean… he and Ignis?" 

"That's the one." 

Luna turned away, trying to process this information. It wasn't exactly a _surprise_ \- Noctis had always been deeply fond of Ignis, and the latter was visibly head over heels for the young prince.

Luna cared for Noctis, and cherished their friendship. But she'd always known her preferences lay with the fairer sex. She hadn't believed it would affect their marriage, which was merely a political play, with the benefit of their prior amicable relationship. To know that his heart belonged to another didn't fill her with sadness, only a strong, overwhelming relief, that she was free to pursue the woman she loved. 

"Then I have no obligation to save myself for him," Luna realised. She turned around, feeling for the first time that she was free to pursue matters of the heart without duty and morality factoring into it. Aranea was regarding her with warmth and a little exasperation. Lunafreya felt lighter than she had in years, a burden lifted from her shoulders.

"I don't know how long it can last," she said softly. "But I'd like to spend as much time together as we can." 

Aranea smiled, and then she kissed her. 


End file.
